Winter storm arrives overnight, gusty winds and snow by sunrise Thursday
A Winter Storm Warning is in place for the region tonight through Friday morning as several inches of snow are expected south and west of Bend. The warning is for not only the snow, but also for gusty winds near 60 mph. The strongest gusts will be along the ridge line of the Cascades but the winds will translate to lower elevations at times. The cities in the warned area are Sunriver, La Pine, Lava Butte, Sisters. 3 – 6” of snow will fall in the lower elevations of the warned area, and over a foot is possible above 5000 feet.
A Wind Advisory is in place until 7 am Thursday for Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, and Warm Springs. Although there will be some snow falling in those areas, not enough is expected to get to an “advisory” level of alert. There will be, however, gusts near 55 mph and may blow the what little snow is falling around, reducing visibility, and making travel difficult.
The next several days will be defined by the snow. Periods of snow and colder than normal temperatures will likely be the case until the end of the weekend. Snow showers and flurries are likely at lower elevations while the snow continues to pile up on the mountains.
This is a very fluid forecast and the timing of the frontal passage is key to the precipitation type. The front is expected to cross Central Oregon before sunrise Thursday, so temperatures will be in the 30s most of the day along with the windy conditions and snow. Highs will have occurred at midnight, so the record books will say we had a high of 45 or so, but actually, the afternoon temperatures will be cold enough to support the snow.
Keep an eye on the Weather Alerts in our area by checking out the red banner at the top of the page as they update frequently.
Stay Safe
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